2 Pages with MBS
Discover the best bits of the best books read by people you admire. Michael Bungay Stanier hosts the podcast where brilliant people read the best two pages of a favourite book. Listen as authors, leaders, activists, academics, celebrities, and entrepreneurs dig in with MBS to explore the insights and ideas within. Whether it’s books that inspire leadership, change, self-development and growth, power, strategy, ambition, productivity, or creativity and innovation - this is hand-curated wisdom from people who know. These are the books that change minds, shape lives, and inspire great work and worthy goals.
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166. From the Vault: The Art of a Tender Conver...
Kathryn Mannix reading from Oliver Sacks’ Gratitude, and discussing the satisfaction of helping others.
48 min
27
165. From the Vault: What’s at the heart of bei...
Brian Christian reading from Godel, Escher, Bach, and discussing the power and future of AI.
49 min
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164. From the Vault: The Doorway to Shared Mean...
Haesun Moon reading from David Bohm’s On Dialogue, and discussing the importance of open communication.
43 min
29
163. From the Vault: How to be Alive: Madeleine...
Madeleine Dore reading from Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, and discussing unlearning the ‘rules’ of life.
35 min
30
162. From the Vault: How to More Deeply Underst...
Caroline Webb reading from Lisa Feldman Barrett’s How Emotions Are Made, and discussing how emotions work, and how experiments can help us explore our deeper rhythms and identify what feels good.
38 min
31
161. Art’s Real Superpower: Stuart Semple [read...
Stuart reading from Patti Smith’s Just Kids, and discussing the prizes & punishments of artistry.
39 min
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160. The Light and the Dark of a Hungry Heart: ...
W. David reading from Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses, and discussing the anxiety of feeling like you peaked early in life and how to ensure that doesn’t become your reality.
48 min
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159. How to Make a Fresh Start: Emily Balcetis,...
Emily Balcetis reading from Katy Milkman’s How to Change, and discussing reframing your mind to allow yourself to hit reset and give it another go.
41 min
34
158. We Begin Again?: Michael Bungay Stanier [r...
Michael reading from How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, and discussing the quest for a BPR, even if it means beginning again, or ending things.
11 min
35
157. Seeing Yourself Through Another’s Eyes: Mi...
Michael reading from How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, and discussing finding the right words to express your technical, emotional, and relational strengths.
10 min
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156. The Wisdom in The Wound: Michael Bungay St...
Michael reading from How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, and discussing what you can learn from frustrating past relationships.
10 min
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155. Safe, Vital, and Repairable: Michael Bunga...
Michael reading from How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, and discussing the blueprint for building your BPR, as well as the investment required to keep it alive.
22 min
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154. A Hunger to Learn: Ryan Hawk, Author of ‘W...
Ryan Hawk reading from David McCullough’s The Wright Brothers, and discussing leaving people, places, and things better than you found them.
50 min
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153. How to Be With Your Contradictions: Brandi...
41 min
40
152. What If You Were Living a False Life?: Hal...
Hal Gregersen reading from Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak, and discussing wrestling with the question, ‘Will I ever measure up and matter?’ throughout his life and the impact that Parker Palmer’s work had on him.
47 min
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151. How to Make Up the Rules: Ash Ambirge [rea...
Ash Ambirge reading from Elliot Liebow’s Tell Them Who I Am, and discussing how exploring her freedom as a nomad has helped her discover where she belongs.
46 min
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150. Exploring Illusion and Ambition: Vinh Gian...
Vinh Giang reading from Eric Jorgenson’s The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant, and discussing choosing the right path for growth, which begins with taking responsibility for your life.
35 min
43
149. From the Vault: How to Surrender to Your H...
Thibault Manekin reading from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, and talking about discovering and living your purpose.
45 min
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148. Know Your Neighbours, Know Yourself: Zita ...
Zita Cobb reading from Raghuram Rajan’s The Third Pillar, and discussing the responsibility of man to adopt an active and sustainable role in your community, because, after all, we need our neighbors.
46 min
45
147. The Power of Subtraction: Leidy Klotz, aut...
Leidy Klotz reading from Eduardo Galeano’s Soccer in Shadow and Sun, and discussing not only overcoming the intimidation of paring your creations, but recognizing when and where to trim the excess.
38 min
46
146. How to Claim Your Genius: Ozan Varol, auth...
Ozan Varol reading from Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, and discussing reconnecting with your origin story, staying curious, and claiming your genius.
46 min
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145. Winning Trophies vs Being Seen: Laura Gass...
Laura Gassner Otting reading from Ursula Hegi’s Stones from the River, and discussing the unfairness of perfectionism & recognising what success means to you.
58 min
48
144. Success, Failure & Design: Debbie Millman,...
Debbie Millman reading from David Foster Wallace’s Consider the Lobster, and discussing the presence of design in everything that we do, especially leadership.
46 min
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143. How You Are You: Anil Seth, author of ‘Bei...
Anil Seth reading from Daniel Dennett’s Consciousness Explained, and discussing the concept of the brain as a prediction machine & how consciousness controls our personal navigation of life.
43 min
50
142. How Loss Can Lead to Love: Laurel Braitman...
Laurel Braitman reading from Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air, and discussing becoming comfortable as a risk-taker, to live a meaningful and nourished life.
50 min